Washington, D.C. – Today, Texas Democratic Delegation Chair Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Democratic Leader Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, DCCC Chairwoman Suzan DelBene, and members of the Texas Democratic Delegation held a press conference on Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s addition of congressional redistricting to the special legislative session scheduled to begin on July 21.

“Governor Abbott and Texas Republicans have utterly collapsed to pressure from President Trump, and they have surrendered Texas to political operatives from Washington, trading and dividing their constituents like commodities,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, Chair of the Texas Democratic Delegation.  “They are prioritizing helping out-of-state political operatives abuse the voting rights and distort the political will of Texans so that national Republicans can try to hold on to the majority of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“This effort is not about any one member or any one district—it is an attack on the citizens of Texas, the voters of Texas, and their right and their ability to elect people to represent them in Washington,” continued Congresswoman Fletcher.  “It is not just about Texas.  But Texas is a cautionary tale of what’s to come when an out-of-control President and administration demand loyalty to them rather than to the people and places that Republicans have been elected to represent.  

“Together, with support from House Democratic leadership and the DCCC, we will fight this redistricting effort from now to next November and beyond,” concluded Congresswoman Fletcher.  “This fight is about more than the midterms, more than this map, it is about making real the founding promise of this country—that we, the people, all of the people, not just the privileged few—have the right and the ability to have a say in our government.”

To watch the full press conference, click here.  Congresswoman Fletcher’s remarks begin at 11:07. 

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Now in her fourth term in Congress, Fletcher was first elected to represent Texas’ Seventh Congressional District in 2018, becoming the first Democrat in more than 50 years and the first woman ever to represent TX-07.